May 25, 2017 By Joseph S. Margai
Make-shift market structures constructed at King Jimmy, central Freetown
mayor of Freetown
Mayor of the Freetown City Council (FCC) has disclosed that his institution was in negotiation with potential investors from South African, who are willing to invest a whopping eighty million United States Dollars (USD$80m) for the construction of the King Jimmy project.
During an exclusive interview with Concord Times at his Wallace Johnson Street office, Franklyn Baba Bode Gibson stated that Sinawe Solar KZN pty Limited from South Africa will commence construction work once negotiation is completed.
On Thursday 8th August 2013, landslide caused by torrential rain in Freetown destroyed the popular King Jimmy bridge, which was built during the slavery era of 1700s, and the King Jimmy market, an important trading centre for traders.
In an effort to rebuild the market, Mayor Gibson said plans were underway to construct a multi-purpose facility comprising a market and mega shops, among other facilities.
“FCC is still putting two more projects into the parcel of the King Jimmy project. These include small market and a sea transportation projects. When the project is complete, the multi-purpose facility will accommodate about two thousand traders.
According to him, the council was urged to embark on the King Jimmy project because the market was an eyesore to residents, traders and customers, who visited the place on daily basis to transact business.
“After it was destroyed by natural disaster some few years ago, the traders constructed make-shift structures in order to continue to transact business. The place became very small for them. But when the construction of the multi-purpose facility would have been completed, many traders including those at Belgium on Lightfoot-Boston Street, Kaffu Bullom chiefdom in the Port Loko district will have a mega facility,” he assured.
He noted that discussion for the rebuilding of the structure commenced immediately after the collapse of the market.
Mayor Gibson added that a feasibility study was carried out by an American company and report presented to the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) for their attention and onward intervention.